March 6/01 7:15 am - Rocky 2001 Team, UCI Legal Action

Posted by Editor on 03/6/01

Rocky Mountain Bicycles 2001 Team

March 6th, 2001 - Rocky Mountain signs Canadian Olympians Andreas Hestler and Lesley Tomlinson for the upcoming season. The 2 Internationally accomplished Cross-Country racers will lead a team of riders as they all strive to achieve their goals for the next 2 Olympic Cycles leading towards 2004 and 2008. Rocky Mountain Bicycles has supported some of Canada's most successful Cross-Country Mountain Bikers over the past decade. Of the 9 Canadian mountain bikers at the last 2 Olympic Games, 6 started their careers with Rocky Mountain.

In 2000 Andreas was in fine form with a number of convincing Norba XC and Short Track podiums, Bronze at Canadian National Championships and Three UCI World Cup prologue wins. He comes into the season as Canada Cup champion for this Rocky Mountain team.

In the 2000 Olympic Games, Lesley was one of 18 out of 80 returning Cross-Country Mountain Bike athletes. She has collected 22 Top 10 World Cup finishes, 2 National Titles, 7 National Silver Medals, 15 Norba Podiums and 4 World Cup podiums. A Commonwealth Games Silver Medal and a Pan-American Championships silver medal round out her Continental achievements. Her first career World Cup podium was in Rocky Mountain colours at Mont. St Anne. Lesley is also a Director of the Sprockids Program Development Society, which is a non-profit society dedicated to the development of youth. As the Society starts its 5th year, there is an entire Sprockids generation of youths that has graduated since the Sprockids was created.

From these graduates come some of the finest talent in the country. The Rocky Mountain Team will support a key group of these youths in their aspirations to develop into successful International competitors and strive towards the next two Olympics.

Espoir riders Jamie Douglas, Canada's 2000 Junior National Champion, and Ricky Federau of Canada's 1999 Bronze medal World Relay Team, are joined by National Development Team Juniors Ben Sigston and Will Routley. Up and coming junior Terry Garnett, who has 2 Cadet World Cup podiums to his credit, and Cadet rider Bradley Fairall will round out the Rocky's New Generation. All five racers are from Vancouver, British Columbia, and 4 of 5 started racing with Sprockids.

"It is exciting to be able to work with these guys and help take them to the next level." Lesley commented" I admire the commitment Rocky is making to youth development and Cross Country racing with this team."

"I'm excited to have these guys around to wash my bike..." comes from Andreas. "Seriously, I'm stoked to be part of the New Generation and looking towards 2004".

Lesley and Andreas will race a full Norba National schedule and North American World Cups. In addition, they plan to contest a number of the Xterra Off Road Triathlon races. The rest of the team will race a variety of schedules including North American World Cups, Canada Cups and select Norba races. The team will have its debut performances for 2001 at the SRAM Sea Otter Classic on March 24-26, 2001.

(Ed. Note: We will be providing live coverage of the entire Sea Otter Classic)

UCI Takes Legal Action

The UCI has issued the following statement concerning the Linda McCartney trade team situation:

An unfortunate development in the Linda McCartney Racing Team affair has led to legal action being taken.

After giving instructions to cash the bank guarantee for the 2000 season, the International Cycling Union (UCI) was informed by the bank concerned that it had never issued a guarantee for the Linda McCartney Racing Team and that the document submitted for the team's official registration, in accordance with the regulations in force, was in fact false.

The UCI, as well as the riders and other members of the team, have therefore been deceived by a fraudulent act.

Consequently, the UCI has given immediate instructions to its lawyers to take legal action against the Linda McCartney Racing Team.

The UCI is nonetheless committed to ensuring that each person involved in this affair will receive a sum equal to what they could have claimed from the document submitted for 2000.

Lastly, the UCI wishes to stress that the Linda McCartney Racing Team has not been registered as a Trade Team for the 2001 season since it has not submitted a bank guarantee.